Effect of integrated nutrient management and methods of Biomix application on growth and yield in soybean (Glycine max L.)

Introduction

Soybean (Glycine max L.) is an important oilseed and protein-rich crop and its productivity is strongly influenced by balanced nutrient management. Commonly known as the "Golden Bean" or "Wonder Crop," Soybean seeds contain 43.2% protein, 19.5% fat, 20.9% carbohydrate and a good amount of other nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins (Gopalan et al., 1971) [1] . Soybean is an excellent source of major nutrients including vitamin A, B, C and D, rich in unsaturated fatty acid and minerals like Ca and P that can meet up different nutritional need (Rahman, 1982) [2] . Integrated use of inorganic fertilizers with organic manures such as farmyard manure (FYM) can improve nutrient availability, crop growth, productivity and yield while contributing to better soil health. Singh et al. (2004) [3] reported that the combined application of recommended NPK with FYM and biofertilizers improved yield attributes, seed yield and quality of soybean compared with recommended NPK alone. Beneficial microorganisms can complement mineral fertilizers by enhancing nutrient availability and promoting plant growth. Singh et al. (2007) [4] observed improved growth, nodulation, seed yield and nutrient uptake of soybean with the use of bio-inoculants and FYM. Similarly, Rana et al. (2014) [5] reported that integrated use of organic manures and recommended fertilizer levels improved seed yield, yield attributes and nutrient uptake in soybean. Biomix is a useful mixture of biological agents, which is a low-cost input technology that contributed to pollution free atmosphere. It is prepared by the Department of Plant Pathology, VNMKV Parbhani, from 14 beneficial fungi and bacteria with functions such as nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, plant growth promotion and biological protection, may therefore have potential as a component of integrated nutrient management in soybean. However, the effectiveness of microbial inputs may vary with the method of application. Therefore, evaluation of suitable Biomix application methods in combination with organic and inorganic nutrient sources is necessary for improving soybean productivity under local agro-climatic conditions of the Marathwada region. Hence, the present investigation was undertaken to study the response of soybean to integrated nutrient management and different methods of Biomix application with respect to growth, yield attributes and productivity.

Materials and methods

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2025-26 at the Experimental Farm of the Agronomy Section, College of Agriculture, Latur, Maharashtra, India. The experimental location falls under the semi-arid tropical climatic region of Maharashtra. The experimental soil was clayey in texture and moderately alkaline in reaction, with a soil pH of 7.55. The soil was low in available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus and high in available potassium. The initial available nutrient status of the experimental soil was 125.90 kg N ha -1 , 8.46 kg P ha -1 and 1150.60 kg K ha -1 . The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Seven treatments were evaluated to study the effect of integrated nutrient management and different methods of Biomix application. The treatments consisted of different combinations of recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), farmyard manure (FYM) and methods of Biomix application. The treatment combinations were: T 1: RDF (30:60:30 N:P 2 O 5 :K 2 O kg ha -1

); T 2: RDF + FYM @ 5 t ha -1 ; T 3: T 2 + Biomix seed treatment @ 8 ml kg -1 seed; T 4: T 2 + Biomix soil application @ 10 kg ha -1 ; T 5: T 2 + Biomix foliar spray @ 1% at 30 and 60 DAS; T 6: T 2 + Biomix foliar spray @ 2% at 30 and 60 DAS; and T 7: control. The gross plot size was 5.4 m × 4.5 m and the net plot size was 4.20 m × 3.90 m. Biomix is an eco-friendly mixture of biological agents and microbial consortium developed by the Department of Plant Pathology, VNMKV Parbhani, from various beneficial fungi and bacteria. This is a combination of fourteen different type of microorganism (Trichoderma asperellum, Aspeygillus niger, Pseuodomonas striata, Neumoria relyi, Gluconacetobactor, Bacillus subtillis, PPFM (Pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs) , Trichoderma harzianum, Pseuodonqonas fluorescens, Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, Paecilomyces lilacinus, Verticillium lecanii, Azospirillum brasilince) in which Nitrogen fixers, Phosphorus solubilizers and PGPR found to enhance the growth of cereals, oilseeds and legumes better and save about 20-25% inorganic fertilizers such as nitrogenous and phosphorus in case of Soybean, rice, cotton, chilli, groundnut and pulses. Soybean variety MAUS-158 was used for the experiment. Sowing was carried out by dibbling on 18 July 2025 at a spacing of 45 cm × 5 cm, using a seed rate of 65 kg ha -1 . The recommended dose of fertilizer, 30:60:30 kg N:P 2 O 5: K 2 O ha -1 was applied according to the respective treatment. FYM was in-corporated as specified in the treatment schedule. Biomix was applied through seed treatment, soil application or foliar spray according to the respective treatments. All other recommended agronomic practices, including weed management and plant protection measures were followed uniformly for all treatments. Five representative plants were selected from each net plot for recording observations. Plant height was measured from the base of the plant to the growing tip and expressed in centimeters. The number of functional leaves was counted on the selected plants. Leaf area was determined from representative plant samples and expressed as dm 2 plant -1 . The number of branches plant -1 was recorded at 75 DAS. For determination of dry matter accumulation, plant samples were collected at the specified growth stages and dried in a hot-air oven until constant weight was achieved. The dry matter was expressed as g plant -1 . At harvest, yield attributes such as number of pods plant -1 , pod yield plant -1 and seed yield plant -1 were recorded. Seed and biological yields were expressed in kg ha -1 . The experimental data were subjected to statistical analysis appropriate for a Randomized Block Design. Analysis of variance was performed following the procedure described by Panse et al. (1967) [6] . The critical difference (CD) at the 5% level of significance was used for comparing treatment means wherever the treatment effect was significant.

Results and discussion

Growth attributes

The data presented in table 1 indicated that application of integrated nutrient management significantly influenced the growth of soybean. Among the different treatments, T 4 (RDF + FYM @ 5 t ha -1 + soil application of Biomix @ 10 kg ha -1 ) recorded the highest values for all the major growth attributes. As presented in table 1, treatment T 4 recorded the highest plant height (67.87 cm), number of functional leaves plant -1 (29.33), leaf area plant -1 (6.32 dm 2 ), number of branches plant -1 (10.20) and dry matter accumulation plant -1 (34.85 g). The performance of T 4 was followed by T 6 (RDF + FYM @ 5 t ha -1 + foliar spray of Biomix @ 2% at 30 and 60 DAS). The superior growth under RDF + FYM @ 5 t ha -1 + soil application of Biomix @ 10 kg ha -1 (T 4 ) may be attributed to the combined effect of inorganic fertilizers, FYM and soil-applied Biomix.

Yield attributes

The data presented in table 2 indicate that Integrated nutrient management and different methods of Biomix application significantly influenced the yield attributes of soybean. The highest number of pods plant -1 (63.50), pod yield plant -1 (30.33 g) and seed yield plant -1 (16.94 g) were recorded under RDF + FYM @ 5 t ha -1 + soil application of Biomix @ 10 kg ha -1 (T 4 ) which was at par with T 6 , which received RDF + FYM @ 5 t ha -1 along with foliar application of Biomix @ 2% at 30 and 60 DAS. The enhanced yield attributes under integrated nutrient management may be associated with improved vegetative growth, greater leaf area and higher dry matter production. Better nutrient availability and uptake during the reproductive phase may have contributed to improved pod formation and seed development. The treatment (T 7 ) recorded the lowest number of pods plant -1 , pod yield plant -1 and seed yield plant -1 . The improved yield attributes under the integrated treatment were consistent with the superior growth performance observed under T 4 . Similar beneficial effects of integrated nutrient management on soybean growth and productiv-ity have been reported by Awasarmal et al. (2013) [7] and Morya et al. (2018) [8] .

Seed and biological yield

The data presented in Table 2 indicate that a marked variation in seed and biological yield was observed among the treatments. The highest seed yield (3083 kg ha -1 ) and biological yield (8015 kg ha -1 ) were obtained with T 4 , comprising RDF + FYM @ 5 t ha -1 + soil application of Biomix @ 10 kg ha -1 . Treatment T 6 , consisting of RDF + FYM @ 5 t ha -1 + foliar spray of Biomix @ 2% at 30 and 60 DAS, recorded the next highest seed yield (2887 kg ha -1 ) and biological yield (7705 kg ha -1 ). The higher seed yield obtained under RDF + FYM @ 5 t ha -1 + soil application of Biomix @ 10 kg ha -1 (T 4 ) may be attributed to the cumulative effect of improved plant growth and yield attributes. Soil application of Biomix in conjunction with FYM and RDF may have provided a favourable rhizosphere environment and enhanced nutrient availability during crop growth. Greater plant height, leaf area, branching and dry matter production under T 4 ultimately resulted in more pods and greater seed production. The results indicate that the method of Biomix application influenced its effectiveness, with soil application performing better than seed treatment and foliar application under the conditions of the present experiment. However, the response of microbial formulations can be influenced by soil properties, environmental conditions, formulation quality and crop management practices. Therefore, further multi-location studies would be useful for validating the response. Similar responses were reported by Awasarmal et al. (2013) [7] , Chakraborty et al. (2016) [10] , Suryavanshi et al. (2024) [11] .

Conclusion

The field experiment demonstrated that integrated application of inorganic fertilizer, FYM and Biomix had a positive influence on soybean growth and productivity. Among the treatments application of RDF + FYM @ 5 t ha -1 + soil application of Biomix @ 10 kg ha -1 (T 4 ) recorded the highest growth attributes, viz., plant height, functional leaves plant -1 , leaf area plant -1 , branches plant -1 , dry matter accumulation plant and yield attributes, viz., number of pods plant -1 , pod yield plant -1 , seed yield plant -1 , seed yield and biological yield, which was found to be the most effective treatment for improving soybean growth and yield.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementThe authors sincerely acknowledge the College of Agriculture, Latur, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, for providing the experimental field, laboratory facilities and other necessary infrastructure for conducting the study.

References

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12. How to cite this article: Bhairewad VR, Suryavanshi V, Patange MJ, Gomladu K, Lomate P, Patne O, et al. Effect of integrated nutrient management and methods of Biomix application on growth and yield in soybean (Glycine max L.). International Journal of Research in Agronomy. 2026;9(9):1488-1491. doi: htt ps://www.doi.org/10.33545/2618060X.2026.v9.i9t.6722